When my kids were younger, there came a point when I felt like I was always telling them “no” whenever they made a request. After thinking it over, I came to realize that the reason was because I felt as if I had to give an immediate response to any request. And without time to figure out all the nuances of the situation, my instinct was to say “no” and be done with it. So when I learned that it was okay (and even desirable) for me to say “let me think about it”, I felt much better about the final answers I was able to give. I found that, after I was able to mull over the request, I was able to say “yes” much more often, which made everyone happier. Even when I was not able to say a definite yes, I could offer compromises. And even when I still had to say no, I would have a legitimate reason to give them, instead of just, “because I said so”.

It’s been a few years since I’ve thought about it. I wonder if that is because the kids don’t make so many requests any more, OR if I was able to ingrain it into my behavior pattern, OR if I’m oblivious to the idea that I may have just gone back to saying “no”. At any rate, I guess I should be grateful that my recent interactions with a certain person have made me start thinking about it again. Funny how something like that can be so obvious when it’s someone else who is doing it.

I’ve been wondering if there is any subtle way to tell this person that there is another way to respond when people make requests of you. Probably not. Which is too bad, because if I can’t do it with subtlety, then chances are good, I won’t do it at all. And that also, is too bad, because maybe this person could overcome her rotten reputation if she learned to say “let me think it over”.

When I was a kid, whenever we drove by the school during a school break, my mom would say, “Poooooor lonely old school!”

It’s probably not a self-fulfilling prophecy that my blogging is suffering due to schoolwork, is it?

They sure are working us hard. I have a theory that they work us hard to see if we can endure it…because what other reason would there be for trying to pack so much information into someone’s brain in so little time?

My neck hurts again. I should be doing better keeping up with the exercises and traction, I suppose. But I think my brain is getting so full that the swelling is pressing on my neck.

I’m going to call this all hypothetical. You can decide for yourself if you really think it is hypothetical.

Oh, and fair warning…maybe you don’t really want to read this, particularly if you are of the male persuasion.

So, if you are a female and of the menstruating age AND you think that it is okay to flush tampons down the toilet, AND if it clogs the toilet of the house you rent, AND your landlord has to unclog the toilet and finds a tampon clogging it, AND he tells you not to put tampons down the toilet…

Don’t you think you might not put tampons down that toilet again??? Wouldn’t you be EXTREMELY embarassed to be calling him a second time only to have him find ANOTHER tampon clogging the toilet??? Wouldn’t you feel just a LITTLE bit stupid showing him the tampon box where it “only says not to flush the applicator”??? (‘Cause that seems like a pretty weak argument to me. Aren’t there signs in every public restroom in America that say not to flush your tampons??? Is it that hard to generalize to a private toilet???).

C’mon!

And if you have a child who likes to put their toys in the toilet…ever hear of those locks you can put on the toilet??? Geez!

And if there is water ruining the floor of the bathroom and your landlord has specifically shown you how to close the shower curtain properly to avoid that problem, AND then you request a shower door because you can’t seem to understand how to close the shower curtain properly, AND he installs the door for you, AND then he drives by the house a few months later only to see that very shower door out in the driveway going out with the trash…

wouldn’t you be just a little embarrassed to be calling the landlord to tell him that there is water leaking into the basement??? (From the shower).

Would it be justified of the landlord to issue a warning that if he finds another tampon in the dregs of the toilet that you will be facing eviction???

I’m just saying…

Why is it that you never hear about the good landlords who have to put up with shitty tenants???

If it keeps snowing like this, it should reach the top of the fence by Friday morning (according to my estimates).

Wasn’t it summer two weeks ago?

Hope I can get a video of the dogs playing in it. They look like cartoon characters with the powdery snow flying up when they are running and wrestling. And they eat the snow like they are a crocodiles snapping at their prey. They are so funny, it almost makes me love the snow.

I said almost.

My spouse went off the road yesterday. Very scary. I still haven’t figured out why the school system thinks it’s okay for teachers to risk life and limb to come to school. At least this year, the new superintendent of DH’s school seems to recognize the absurdity of making the teachers come in when school is cancelled for the kids.

One hour delay for the kids on Monday. Two hour delays yesterday and today. They have a half day Friday. Life is tough.

Somebody must be antipating a really bad winter, because they seem to be holding out on the full snow days…what other reason could there be?

If anyone is interested in toning their thighs, I recommend putting on some snow pants and wading through knee-deep snow. Seriously. But plan your route, ’cause you’ll get tired sooner than you think, and you certainly wouldn’t want to be stuck in a drift. When you fall down, the drift quickly becomes neck-deep 😉 .

I sure wish I had a fireplace so that I could say “but the fire is so delightful”. I guess I’ll just have to be content with the lights from the Christmas tree.

“And since we’ve no place to go…” I wish! Apparently the tires on the van had to rebel, so there’s that to be taken care of.

I think my spouse secretly enjoys this madness. He sure has spent a lot of time out there. (My personal opinion is that he’s out there more than is absolutely necessary…but I won’t complain, as long as he doesn’t feel the need to drag me out there).

Hunker down. Get out the hot chocolate. It’s winter. And it feels like it might be time to watch Groundhog Day already.